Salted Caramel Molten Lava Cakes: Instant Pot or Oven

In my home, the ultimate indulgence is warm -gooey Salted Caramel Molten Lava Cakes. Rich dark chocolate, blended with salted caramel, topped with salted caramel ice-cream, it is a match made in dessert-heaven. It’s our go-to dessert for family game nights or any instant celebrations in the house.

Individual Servings

Since this is a decadent dessert, I like to make individual portions using these Silicone Cupcake Liners. These liners serve three great purposes in my home: First, the silicone molds don’t get hot to the touch after baking, so handling is super easy, my kids bake with these often. Second, taking the lava cakes out of these molds is a breeze. Simply, invert them on to your serving dish, and they slip out nice and easy. Third, it does portion control for me. I take one, finish it and feel satisfied that I had a full dessert. After that, I don’t feel like going for seconds, like I would be tempted to, if it were a cake:-)

Pressure Cooking Salted Caramel Molten lava Cakes

I make these lava cakes in the Instant Pot DUO and they turn out really moist and delicious. But this cake can be made in the oven as well. I find the texture of thee lava cakes to be more moist and gooey, when I pressure cook them. The pressure cooking environment prevents the outer crust of the cake from drying out. As a result, when you cut through the cake, the lava slides out super smoothly and becomes one with the cake.

Oven Recipe

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, not to worry! You can bake these in the good old oven. Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Follow step 1 and 2. Place the cakes on a cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes, depending on how gooey you want the center to be.

Flavor Variation

When it comes to flavor variations in Lava Cakes, sky is the limit! If salted caramel is not your thing, try these Chocolate Lava Cakes. Also, instead of salted caramel, replace it with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and enjoy Peanut Butter Molten Lava Cake instead! My kids and I are working on a Red Velvet Lava cake, so keep checking for an update on this page.

Rate this Recipe

Salted Caramel Molten Lava Cakes are the ultimate indulgence in my home. Rich dark chocolate, blended with salted caramel, topped with salted caramel ice-cream, it is a match made in dessert-heaven. This recipe uses pressure cooking in an instant pot to make this wonderful dessert in less than 30 minutes.

Melt butter and chocolate chips in the microwave, about 30 seconds to a minute. Using a whisk, mix well. Sift in confectioners sugar and mix again. Add eggs, vanilla, salt and mix well. Sift in flour and whisk till everything is incorporated.

Grease silicone cupcake molds or 4 oz. ramekins. There are two options of making these Salted Caramel Lava cakes.

Option 1: Pour batter in molds, filling them half way. Pour 1 teaspoon or more of salted caramel sauce in the center. Pour batter on top, leaving 1/4 inch from the top. In this option, the caramel sauce will ooze out 'with' the chocolate lava, from within the cake.

Option 2: Start by pouring caramel sauce at the bottom of the mold. Pout batter on top, leaving 1/4 inch from the top. In this option, the salted caramel sauce will melt all over your lava cake when you invert it.

So choose based on your preference, either way, you'll end up with a wicked good lava cake.

Put 1 cup water and place trivet in the Inner pot of the Instant Pot. Place cakes on trivet. Close lid. Set vent to SEALING. Cook on MANUAL (hi-pressure) for 7 minutes. If you like a more gooey center, reduce time to 6 minutes, if you like a more cake-like center, increase time 8-9 minutes.

QR-quickly release the pressure and remove the cakes. Cool for 1 minute and invert the cakes into the serving plate and dust with confectioners sugar (optional). Serve with a scoop of Salted Caramel or Toffee flavor ice-cream. Enjoy!

Oven Method

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, not to worry! You can bake these in the good old oven. Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Follow steps 1 and 2. Place the cakes on a cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes, depending on how gooey you want the center to be.

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